Naveen demands tax reduction on petroleum products

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa government on Wednesday said increase in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas would adversely affect the poor people in the state.

"The price rise in the petroleum product is going to affect the consumers in the backdrop of an alarming inflation rate", Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.

Announcing that his party, the BJD, would oppose the UPA government's decision to hike the price of petroleum products, Patnaik said the state government would move the Centre demanding withdrawal of the new tariff.

He said the price rise would result in soaring prices of other essential commodities. "The UPA government's steps would affect the poor and middle class people", he said.

Describing the price rise as "unfortunate", BJP legislature party leader and Orissa's Law minister B B Harichandan said his party would launch a statewide agitation against it. "The UPA government will pay a heavy price for its decision of hiking price of petroleum products", Harichandan said. Both BJD and BJP, he said, would oppose the UPA government's decision.